First Timers Looking for Advice

[DThomson]

Hi Everyone,
My husband and I have 5 days this coming October (5-10th) for a rural walk. We have never walked the Camino before - we're pretty fit, I'm a dancer and my husband works out quite a bit (I'm 60 and my husband is 65). We are coming from London, UK. My questions are these what is a good section of the Camino for us to walk that will be rural (we don't want to walk on paved roads and we don't want cities or suburbs). I've spent too much time trying to figure out how to get to a start spot from London and how to get back to London at the end. I didn't want to use a tour operator, but given I don't know what I'm doing in this London part (or any part!), I'm thinking I might have to. Can anyone advise? Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

that will be rural (we don't want to walk on paved roads and we don't want cities or suburbs).

Five days of that does not exist on the Camino Frances. The Camino Primitivo avoids cities pretty well, but it is along roads to get through the mountains. The Via de la Plata is rural, but it also is along roads in many places. Consider the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail for rural. You could walk any five days on them.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

You need to give more information, "D". Are you absolutely set on the best known Camino Frances, or would you consider other, quieter caminos? I loved the Portuguese from Porto to SdC: almost all will have some road walking. 5 days will only give you a brief taste of the Camino de Santiago, so be prepared to be bitten by the camino bug - you may well come back time and time again! You can fly to Santiago, then catch a train to a start point. I hope those 5 days don't include travel to and from Spain!
There are lots of diaries and photos on my web site.
Here a single picture from the Porto camino .... walking the border between Portugal and Spain....

Whatever you decide - buen camino!

 

[whariwharangi]

I would suggest purchasing Brierley's guidebook. You can read it and then come up with a plan.

We can help with details of how to get to and from any point on the camino from London but you have to know where you want to go first.

 

[fiona99]

Galicia was my favourite part......

 

[WalkonBy]

Hi everyone. Great conversation and advice. I have a somewhat similar inquiry as D . My wife and I are going to start our Camino Frances Sept 9, 2015....Yea. We have 60 days for our holiday with 45 committed to the Camino, with travel to and fro we will be left with about 9 days free without any plans. We are considering Portuguese Camino, we like the idea of being on the coast and the water. Any suggestions helping us fill this time would be appreciated. Buen Camino.

 

[DThomson]

Thank you, everyone! We will be spending time in London UK so our travel to the continent will be from there and back again - we have time in London before and after our walk. We are not committed at all to France, in fact I am completely open to Spain and Portugal! I simply thought France might be slightly easier because I speak French. All suggestions welcome - perhaps it's just finding a place we like that's near an airport, then taking a train 75-100 km and walking back to the airport! I'm sort of leaning away from flying in to Santiago de Compostela though, simply because I have the idea it's the most crowded part of the Camino - I may be wrong (and if we are walking for such a short time, it doesn't seem right - I'll save that for when we do a longer walk of 3-4 weeks.)

 

[VSB]

You could try walking from Bayonne to St Sebastien, flying into Biarritz on one of those super-early-morning flights, then taking the train to Bayonne. First visit the cathedral, where you are likely to find a warm pilgrim welcome and a map of your route out of the city, then walk on to St Jean de Luz or wherever you can reach before dark that day. Then you have four days to reach St Sebastien, where you'll find a train back to Bayonne. It's not all rural and of course you'll be starting and finishing in big cities, with plenty of other towns on the way. But it's as charming a walk as you will find on the Camino that is practical for a five-day trip out from London

 

[DThomson]

You could try walking from Bayonne to St Sebastien, flying into Biarritz on one of those super-early-morning flights, then taking the train to Bayonne. First visit the cathedral, where you are likely to find a warm pilgrim welcome and a map of your route out of the city, then walk on to St Jean de Luz or wherever you can reach before dark that day. Then you have four days to reach St Sebastien, where you'll find a train back to Bayonne. It's not all rural and of course you'll be starting and finishing in big cities, with plenty of other towns on the way. But it's as charming a walk as you will find on the Camino that is practical for a five-day trip out from London

This is most helpful!!! I am looking at this option now. Thank you so much! Donna

 

[Urban Trekker]

5 days plus travel or 5 days total. If you have 5 days the English Camino starting in Ferrol comes to mind or the Portuguese starting in Tui. Both are doable in 5 days and are a good mix of trails, dirt roads, back roads, and some city walking.

 

[julia-t]

I will only have 5 days next year, and I will be flying BA from LHR-Bilbao, then taking a train to Pamplona. I have thought of getting the bus at 6pm to Roncesvalles and starting from there the next morning, but I have also heard that the people at Corazon Puro (in Biskarret) will meet you at Pamplona station, drive you to the guest house for the night then to StJPdP the following morning to start.

http://www.corazonpuro.es/Enghome.html

With 5 days you probably won't get much further than Estella, and there is a bus service back to Bilbao.

You can also find flights from London Gatwick to Biarritz or Santiago.

Please post back to tell what you decide to do and how you get on!

 

[Tia Valeria]

The Camino Primitivo is mostly track through the mountains and very rural.For 5 days walking you could start in Oviedo (bus back to Oviedo from Grandas de Salime), or better to take the bus up to Salas or Tineo and walk from there. Oviedo airport (Asturias airport) might be accessible to you and return from Santiago. You could bus there if needed from Lugo, or before (between Fonsagrada and Lugo). Also bus from Lugo up to coast and work back round to Asturias airport if needed.

 

[Jacobus]

Hi everyone. Great conversation and advice. I have a somewhat similar inquiry as D . My wife and I are going to start our Camino Frances Sept 9, 2015....Yea. We have 60 days for our holiday with 45 committed to the Camino, with travel to and fro we will be left with about 9 days free without any plans. We are considering Portuguese Camino, we like the idea of being on the coast and the water. Any suggestions helping us fill this time would be appreciated. Buen Camino.

You can do the Portuguese 3 times in 45 days from Porto. If you need to stretch the time start in Lisbon with a few days exploring and don’t forget Sintra. The walk up to Porto and sample the goods there. Both sides of the Douro river offer excellent wine and of course Port. Its 13-15 days to Santiago from Porto depending on pace. Once in Santiago the Cathedral will draw you in. Then if you plan your time you mat have enough to get to Fisterre.
Bom Caminho

 

[C clearly]

This thread is old (2015) and @WalkonBy hasn't been seen here since 2018.